1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the storage and transportation of cassettes and, more particularly, to apparatus for removably storing audio cassettes in containers, for retaining the container in a predetermined location and for separating the container from the bracket so that the container with its cassettes may be transported independent of the bracket for use at a remote location.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years there has been a great increase in popular music as well as audio cassettes for playing such music. Whether popular music has caused the increase in cassettes and cassette players or whether the availability of cassettes and cassette players has promoted the popularity of music, does not matter. Cassettes and their players are in increasingly wide use today.
Cassette players may be designed for use at any one of a wide variety of locations. Cassette players with large speakers are more adapted for use in a particular room of a home. In dash or under dash cassette players are found in a large number of cars today. In addition, personal cassette players are also not uncommonly utilized by people walking among the general public. Such public systems may have private earphones for the listening enjoyment solely by a wearer while other personal systems might be hand carried with an audio range for being heard by other people in the proximate area. The proliferation of cassettes and their players has become a reality.
Cassettes are normally kept individually in transparent cases, and with the increase in their numbers, there has come an increase in the number of containers for storing such cassettes and cases. Such storage containers are available in a wide variety of designs as a function of the location at which their cassettes are to be utilized. Containers for use in supporting cassettes for a large fixed player in a home would be different in design from a container design for use in association with a player in a car which, in turn, would be different from a container designed for use in association with a personal player carried by a listener.
Cassette containers should be designed for individually storing the listener's favorite cassettes in such a way as to allow for the easy insertion and removal of the cassettes from the storage container. They should also be designed for the convenient viewing of any writing on either the cassettes or their cases. Further, they should be designed for being conveniently transported between various locations where they might be used. In addition, they should be as attractive and economical as possible.
The patent literature shows that these design objectives are well recognized. It does not, however, provide any satisfactory solution which is sufficiently convenient, economical and attractive. Consider, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,907,116 to Wolf; 4,293,075 to Veralrud; and 4,306,655 to Smith. These three patents describe containers for the removal receipt of various types of audio cassettes as well as video cassettes. The containers are all of complex, expensive constructions with excessively large numbers of component parts which would tend to increase their costs for materials and labor. They are all generally designed for being positioned adjacent to a cassette player and then transported to another location by the user. Further, no provision is made for their securement at a particular location. In addition, their sizes are generally such that they might accommodate any one of a plurality of sizes or types of cassettes.
Similar to the disclosures of the above discussed patents are the French Patent No. 2,301,413 issued Oct. 22, 1976 in the name of Rolland and the West German Patent Number DT 2630-451 issued Feb. 2, 1978 to Wittner. These patents disclose cassette containers for audio or visual purposes. These containers may be mounted for use in passenger compartments of cars. Both devices are of complex, expensive, designs and may include the cassette player itself in combination with the cassete storage container.
Also of interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,510,008 to Mason; 3,627,398 to Reese; 4,111,502 to Kessler and 4,285,557 to Paladino. These four patents disclose devices for removably containing cassettes wherein the devices are designed for permanent attachment to a part of a car. The Reese and Paladino devices include complex linkage mechanisms wherein the cassette carrying portion of the devices may be swung between an upper position for storage and a lower position wherein the cassettes may be inserted or removed. The Mason device is simply constructed of a permanently bolted receptacle and a depending portion in which the cassettes may be received. The most complex and expensive cassette storage device would appear to be that described by Kessler. According to the Kessler disclosure, the individual cassettes are stored in individual drawers in such a manner that any written material on the cassette indicative of its contents is not normally visible by the user.
Additional arrangements of cassette containers are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,299 to Tolerson and 4,231,625 to Perez. These two patents each describe a cassette carrier mountable in a car wherein a first portion of the device is removable from a permanently attached second portion. Both of the devices, like the devices disclosed by Mason, Reese, Kessler and Paladino discussed in the immediately preceding paragraph, require the permanent defacing of the car by bolts, screws or the like. According to the Tolerson disclosure, the cassettes would not be conveniently observable nor could they be stored or retrieved unless their container were pivoted to a lower position. While the Perez cassettes would be visible at all times, the Perez apparatus is an expensive and complex combination of parts including lights coupled with the electrical system of the car and with separate handles which might be used when the cassette carrying portion of the apparatus is removed from the car in which it is mounted.
The mounting of devices on ledges such as those found in cars, for more convenient attachment and removal, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,746,634 to Breneman; 3,125,969 to Tallon; 3,409,193 to Metcalf and 3,804,233 to Gregg. These patents describe unitary, not separable, devices for their convenient coupling, as to a car window, for example. The devices are one-piece arrangements with no ability to separate a first attaching portion from a second article carrying portion which might be separated and transported from the first attaching portion. None of these prior patents or known commercial devices teaches or suggests the convenient, economical and attractive container as described and claimed herein. Known containers are simply lacking in one regard or another.
As illustrated by the great number of prior patents and commercial devices, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to more conveniently, economically and attractively store and transport audio cassettes. None of these prior art efforts, however, suggests the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein. Prior techniques and apparatus do not provide the benefits attendant with the present invention. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, through the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reduction in cost to manufacture, and through the utilization of only readily available materials.
These objects and advantages should be construed as merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and advantages as well as a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary and detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in addition to the scope of the invention as defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.